Green Bay Labor Council, United Way Launch Diaper Drive

Anyone who has ever raised kids knows that in those early years, you can never have too many diapers. But for low-income families, the cost of keeping infants in an average of about a dozen diapers a day and toddlers in eight can be a major financial burden.

This week in Green Bay, Wis., the Brown County United Way, in partnership with the Greater Green Bay Labor Council Community Services Committee and 21 community partners, launched the first annual Brown County Diaper Drive.

Dan Wadle, the AFL-CIO Community services liaison says the donations will go to organizations affiliated with the Community Partnership for Children, a community-wide initiative focused on keeping children from birth to age five safe, healthy and learning.

Donations will be collected at dozens of drop boxes at grocery stores, fire stations and other locations in the greater Green Bay area. You can also make monetary donations online at: www.browncountyunitedway.org/diaperdrive.html. The drive runs through July 31.

Besides keeping a baby clean and dry, here are some other diaper facts from the Brown County United Way that illustrate the need:

It can cost over $100 per month for an adequate supply of diapers.

Government programs, including food stamps and WIC, do not cover any portion of the cost of diapers.

An inadequate supply of diapers may result in a baby spending the entire day in a single diaper, increasing the risk of health problems including diaper rash and hepatitis.

A baby crying non-stop from being in a soiled diaper for a prolonged period of time is more likely to become a victim of abuse.

Low income parents cannot take advantage of free or subsidized childcare if they cannot afford to leave a day’s supply of disposable diapers at the childcare center. If parents cannot access childcare, they are less likely to attend work or school on a consistent basis, leading to increased economic instability and a continuation of the cycle of poverty.

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